Improvement in shirts



T. M. SLB. DBNHAM.

` Shirt.

No. 215,442. Patented May 20,1879.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. DENHAM AND EDWARD DENHAM, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 215,442, dated May 20, 1879; application filed March 14, 1879.

Tofall whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS M. DENHAM and EDWARD DENHAM, both of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirts; and we do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to shirts; and it consists in atriaugular yoke and bosom-stay, connected to the yoke and bosom, and in an inclined position to the body ofthe shirt, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring` to the annexed drawing, which represents a front view of a shirt embodying our invention.

The object of our invention is to remedy the existing complaint that bosomed shirts wear out in front or below the yoke, and along the upper edge of the bosom, where the suspenders or pant-supporters chafe on the shirt 5 and this we accomplish by means of a triangular yoke and bosom-stay.

In thedrawing, A represents the front of a shirt. B is the bosom O, the yoke or shoulderpiece, and D the triangular yoke and bosomstay. This triangular stay is stitched and kept in` its place on the upper side by the yoke, on the bosom side by the bosom, and on the third side, along the line a, it is stitched to the front of the shirt, making it double along and below the yoke and upper edge of bosom, where is the severest wear.

Formerly, when nearly all shirts were made by members of the family at home, the fronts of the shirts were faced or lined to some distance below the arnrscye, or nearly the length of the bosom. This made too much cloth to wear comfortably around and beneath the arm with a good-fitting coat, and shirt-mana facturers have for many years done away with this facing because of its eXtra cost, being uncomfortable to wear with a close-fittin g coat, and being more difficult to laundry well.

Shirts have also been made with a strap or binding around the whole edge of the bosom, the strap or binding bein g sewed to the back or front, the bosom being set in between the two thicknesses. Thisprotectsthe bosom-edgeand cloth where it joins, but does not accomplish the purpose we desire. The lower portion of the bosom hidden by the vest should have no eXtra stay or stifi'euing, but be more limberv than the upper portion to bend and curve as the wearer bends forward. Besides, if bound way around, the shirts are much more expellsive to make aud more diflicult to iron.

In our invention the stay is not joined to the sleeve, except where the sleeve joins the yoke, leaving an intervening portion, b, of one thickness, as desirable, at the side and underneath the arm.

The lowest point, d, of the stay D is only about half-way down the length of the bosom, and thus the upper part of the bosom will be strengthened as it should be, and the lower portion, having no stay, has more chance to bend below the vest-opening.

Our invention is simple, easy and inexpensive to make, and durable, for it covers the space which first wears out. It is comfortable to wear and easy to laundry.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a shirt, a triangular piece or bosom-stay, D, connected to the yoke and bosom,and diagonally to the body of the shirt, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. k

irnos. M. DENHAM. [1.. s] EDWARD VDDNHAM.4 iL. s]

Witnesses:

L. P. MILLER, LIZZIE GROACHER. 

